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Nutritionist / Dietician Consultation - My Experience.

Discussion in 'Keep Fit & Maintain Shape' started by Needtobestrong, Mar 5, 2019.

  1. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I did a rough calculation of the calories in your meal plan. The approximate calories for each item are in blue. I have made a bunch of assumptions and taken the averages for most food items. Actual values will vary wildly based on the recipe used. I assumed pumpkin seeds for the mid morning snack. Dal and veg calories depend on type and preparation. I went with the most basic versions, toor dal fry with tomato-onion and sukhi bhindi, both my recipes are approximately 120 cals for 125-150 gms serving. If you add potatoes or paneer, a cup of sabzi can add up to 250-500 cals! I have rounded off here and there so don't fixate on the exact sums. But based on my calculations you are eating between 2000 to 2200 calories a day. Even with a 20% error margin, these numbers are close to the daily calorie requirements of a normal weight, active woman. Unless the cup measure you are using is really tiny this meal plan isn't going to help you lose weight. In order to lose weight you will have to bring down your intake to around 1300-1500 calories a day.

    The plan says half cup of peanuts? 1 cup of peanuts are 800 calories. Did the nutritionist give you a number or a weight for nuts? The safe amount is usually between 10-20 pieces. That alone can add up to 200 calories depending on the type of nut. By cup does she mean a US standard 240ml volume cup? Or a 250 ml metric cup or a small bowl of unknown volume? You see why cup is not a helpful measure? Ask your nutritionist to give you a meal plan with measurements in grams and if possible buy a small kitchen scale like this to weigh your food.

    If you want I can share some 1400 calories meal plans which I used when I was losing weight. I eat a predominantly North Indian diet.

    ==========================================================
    Below is the diet plan which my dietician had given me.
    Morning wake up 06:00am
    Medicine
    07:00:00 AM.
    1 small yelaiki banana (90) + 5 soaked almonds (30)

    09:00 am (breakfast)
    2 small idli (120)/ 1 medium size dosa (110) + 1-2 tsp chutney (1 tbsp = 60 cals) / 1 cup poha or upma or daliya or semiya (300)+ 1 cup sprout salad (50)

    Breakfast total ~300-470 cals

    11:00:00 AM
    1 cup veg salad (30) + 1 tsp seeds (50)

    01:00 pm (lunch)
    ½ cup rice (120) /2 small roti (110) + 1 cup veg (120) + 1 cup dal (120) + 1 cup curd (140)

    Mid-morning + lunch total ~580 cals


    03:00:00 PM
    ½ cup Roasted peanut (400?) + 8 nuts (1 cashew = 8 cals, 64 cals) + 1 glass buttermilk (100)

    05:00:00 PM
    1 fruit (1 medium apple = 100 cals) + 1 glass coconut/lemon water (30)

    Snack total ~690 cals

    07:00 pm(dinner)
    2 small chapathi (110) + 1 cup veg (120) + 1 cup dal (120)

    09:00:00 PM
    200 ml milk (120)

    Dinner and milk total ~470

    Sleep 11:00 pm

    Lots of water, no sugar to be taken, regular exercise etc were suggested to me.

    Daily Calorific Intake: ~2040 - 2210

    ============================================================================
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2019
    kaniths, Rihana, sokanasanah and 4 others like this.
  2. Laks09

    Laks09 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @Needtobestrong - You do need a calorie counter like myfitnesspal to track your calories. You also need proper US Cup measures and spoon measures(not katoris and spoons at home). It will be best if you can weigh your food instead of using cups/spoons.
    For your condition, if you need to be on a low carb/high protein diet then please know that yelakki banana, fruits, dal, nuts, milk products all have carbs in them. 1/2 cup white rice is full of carbs as well. On a vegetarian diet, it is hard to get protein without carbs, so manage your other carbs efficiently(rice/dosa/upma) etc.
    Look into the lunch menu thread for alternatives to carbs - we have shared many many vegetarian meal options in the thread with calorie content.

    I also think your dietician is trying to get some nuts in for the good fats in the nuts are supposed to help the hormonal imbalance issues. I’m not sure how tried and tested it is but too much of a good thing can also be bad so cycle your proteins - eat beans like Chana/Rajma, dals, Curd, cheese, paneer etc. they all have carbs too so try and cut out some carbs from your meal and replace with these things.

    Things like upma etc for breakfast without protein will make you hangry. I usually will eat more protein less carb for breakfast to give me fuel for the entire day. I usually eat 1/4 cup of oats with 1/2c milk and 1/3 cup Greek yogurt with fruits for breakfast.

    I also make a chutney powder with all the lentils and some peanuts to give me extra protein boost and use that instead of chutneys and pickles.

    If you aren’t measuring your oils please start doing so. We have no idea of how much oil goes into things until we use a proper measure and it’s mind boggling.
     
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  3. nakshatra1

    nakshatra1 Platinum IL'ite

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    We know our body best . Most establishments are too commercial and most of them try to earn more with no sincerity . Best to take things in own hands and experiment . After a few months you will know what works for you .
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2019
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  4. Gallant

    Gallant Silver IL'ite

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    Cut anything made of:
    White sugar, maida (all purpose flour, remember all bakery products made of maida and samosa, pizza too) and milk and milk products. In other words, simply, become a Vegan. Get enough protein from dals, beans and some vegetables.
    Cut carbs...
    Avoid deep oil fried items.
    Eat lots of green veggies and limit the intake of fruits; ie eat moderate amount of fruits.
    Eat only when you are hungry.
    Drink lot of water: 8-10 glasses/day.
    Exercise regularly. You will start losing weight. All these are general instructions only. So anyone can follow.
    You don't have to consult any dietician. You yourself, a dietician.
     
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  5. Afresh

    Afresh Gold IL'ite

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    A few pointers for you to go through :
    You would have to exercise caution at any information being mentioned and verify with other sources
    I am not really a big fan of counting calories , but sometime the situation demands and you need to follow thoroughly to reach any point of judgement about its efficacy or ow

    Is Low Carb Bad For Hypothyroidism?
    Is a Low-Carb Diet Good for Hypothyroidism? | Livestrong.com
    How To Lose Weight With An Underactive Thyroid: Your 6-Step Guide
    14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism And Weight Loss

    The 3rd last link has a very good hand portion measure of vegetables/proteins and grains; you may use that
    Eg rice should be only a fistful uncooked when cooking for yourself
    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Needtobestrong

    Needtobestrong Platinum IL'ite

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    wow.thanks for the detailed breakup of calories..
    The dietician didn't specify any quantity at all..
    Actually she didn't explain anything to me..just she prepared template and gave me the soft copy of diet plan by mail...it's so frustrating to not know details as to how much some food item should be eaten and what alternatives are there...she did Not even give calorific breakup at all..
    The hospital charges a hefty fee for follow up consultation also I was unable to step out and go again..
    2049-2210 calories seems to be more..
    You mentioned about 1400 calorie weight loss diet plans..
    Is it suitable for hypothyroid?
    Pls share with me..I'm not finding time to go to dietitician again as I'm very busy.
     
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  7. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    In addition to tracking calories and macronutrients, you might consider intermittent fasting. There are many variations. The simplest version, one that is relatively easy to stick to, is the 16:8 - i.e., one eats only during an 8-hour period during the day, say between 11 am and 7 pm; not outside those hours. The other 16 hours constitute a 'fasting' period. There's a ton of material on the web. Here's a start, with no endorsement implied.
    Good Luck!
    :beer-toast1:
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2019
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  8. DDream

    DDream Finest Post Winner

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    OP, Is your TSH within normal limits now ? It should be. If not consult your doctor.They may suggest to increase amount. Also make sure your Vitamin D levels are normal. If there is any other health issue that can elevate weight, take steps to control that.

    To me the amount in calories in the suggested diet appears slightly high. I think drinking a few glasses of warm water every morning with your medicine will help you a lot. Cut down sugar, diary, oil, fat etc.. increase protein & water intake and reduce carbohydrate. Never skip breakfast. Every person is different. So we need to find what work for us. There are some suggestions like increasing the frequency of food intake (6 times per day instead of three/four), but in small amounts to boost metabolic activity. Also do exercise everyday. Be consistent . I am sure slowly your weight will come down. Dont expect wonders soon, but make it as a life style change, that will help you reach your goal.

    Check this link :Diet and Weight Loss Tips for Thyroid Patients

    9 Foods to Avoid with Hypothyroidism | Hypothyroid Diet
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2019
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  9. Needtobestrong

    Needtobestrong Platinum IL'ite

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    Thanks..
    I don't remember my thyroid levels, I just got a routine thyroid function test T3, T4, TSH, free T4 done a couple of months ago followed by a consult with an endocrinologist...he just told me to continue with same dosage of medicine and not to increase the dosage..of course he warned me that medicine cannot be stopped and may have to be continued lifelong..I complained of tiredness so he prescribed a multivitamin supplement and a vitamin D supplement too..since I'm taking that regularly I can rule out VitD deficiency for time being...reg weight he told me that I need to make diet and lifestyle changes to achieve weight loss ..
    I'm already taking tea coffee etc with less milk and no sugar...food with less oil..healthy home cooked food...outside food very rarely..of course sometimes I snack on biscuits and junk food in very small quantities which I'm trying to avoid..need to work on having smaller and nutritious meals at frequent intervals and balance the calories :(
     
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  10. Laks09

    Laks09 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Needtobestrong - Try these changes. You absolutely must buy proper measuring cups. You should also measure your oil(very less is still subjective not measurable).

    Also, you have mentioned multiple times that you are really busy. All of us are really busy managing kids and careers and homes. That doesn’t mean you cannot take time out to make yourself a priority. Even with very little time on hand, I make my seperate vegetarian meals when my family is predominantly non vegetarian. I’ve found that if I let go of my meal plans I gain back whatever I lost.

    Also find an activity that you like and start working out regularly. The workouts release endorphins that help feel good and continue staying motivated.

    Btw - I generally discourage people from making in-depth diet comments on here since we don’t know the history of the poster - height/weight/health conditions etc. Please follow the below for a couple of weeks, use an app to track it and come back and post your daily intake for two weeks on the thread. You will get further inputs from others. Please track and measure so you and everyone else knows you are consuming enough calories and not going on a huge deficit.

    When in doubt - breakfast - 400, lunch 400, dinner 400 and then two snack of 150 cals each make up 1500 cals. I usually eat less for breakfast to make sure I get my coffee with full milk twice a day and extra snack.
    If you need a big lunch, skip the mid morning snack and eat a bigger lunch.


    [QUOTE="Gauri03, post: 4125945, member: 81420]

    ==========================================================
    Below is the diet plan which my dietician had given me.
    Morning wake up 06:00am
    Medicine
    07:00:00 AM.
    1 small yelaiki banana (90) + 5 soaked almonds (30)
    Can you just eat breakfast early instead of eating an early morning snack?
    09:00 am (breakfast)
    2 small idli (120)/ 1 medium size dosa (110) + 1-2 tsp chutney (1 tbsp = 60 cals) / 1 cup poha or upma or daliya or semiya (300)+ 1 cup sprout salad (50)

    Breakfast total ~300-470 cals
    Skip the poha and semiya or make them healthy by using 1/3 cup poha and rest veggies. Same with upma. Use very little rava and then use veggies.
    I wouldn’t do the chutney. I’d eat some podi with lot of lentils and a little peanuts instead(no oil).


    11:00:00 AM
    1 cup veg salad (30) + 1 tsp seeds (50)

    01:00 pm (lunch)
    ½ cup rice (120) /2 small roti (110) + 1 cup veg (120) + 1 cup dal (120) + 1 cup curd (140)

    Mid-morning + lunch total ~580 cals

    I have a feeling these cup measures are all small Indian katori measures.
    Skip white rice. Add flax powder or hemp powder to atta to add some protein in roti. IF you have to eat rice make it brown rice and have only 1/4 cup(Actual cup measure). Club it with either dal or Chana/rajma/kidney beans, mixed dal etc. make it nutrient dense. Make all accompaniments 1/2 cup. Veggies can be one full cup.


    03:00:00 PM
    ½ cup Roasted peanut (400?) + 8 nuts (1 cashew = 8 cals, 64 cals) + 1 glass buttermilk (100)

    05:00:00 PM
    1 fruit (1 medium apple = 100 cals) + 1 glass coconut/lemon water (30)

    Snack total ~690 cals
    Ideally you should have only two snack one in between breakfast and lunch and one in between lunch and dinner. At 5, have 1/2 cup roasted dalia and 8 cashews or apple and dalia or 1/4 cup peanuts alone.
    07:00 pm(dinner)
    2 small chapathi (110) + 1 cup veg (120) + 1 cup dal (120)

    09:00:00 PM
    200 ml milk (120)

    Dinner and milk total ~470

    Dinner seems to be ok.


    Sleep 11:00 pm

    Lots of water, no sugar to be taken, regular exercise etc were suggested to me.

    Daily Calorific Intake: ~2040 - 2210

    ============================================================================[/QUOTE]
     
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